Drop of Blood
by flamingflight
Summary: The leader...the half-breed...tsk, tsk, tsk...blood is gonna spill tonight...
1. New Moon

A Drop Of Blood

New Moon: The Hunt Is On

September 14, 2001

The hunt was on.

She ran swiftly through the forest, allowing the dark trees to camouflage her, letting the shadows of the night sweep around her, hiding her in it's darkness. Biting down hard onto her lower lip, the female wolf tasted the sweet blood pouring softly out and gained back some of her confidence. Sweat poured down her silver fur as she ran behind a tree. Suddenly, she was in a surrounding of trees in the middle. A ruffling

movement of bushes near-by made her stop and doubt herself as she whipped her wolf-head that way. Another ruffle in a different direction made her look over there. Slowly, a feral grin made it's way onto her face.

*Tricky, tricky, tricky,* she thought as adrenaline pumped in her blood and veins. He thought to lure her into the Moonlight, but she wasn't to be trapped so easily. Interesting, yes this would make the chase ever more exciting. She would never admit it to anyone...but she loved these hunts...where it was just her...him...the shadows...and the Moon...

The female wolf quickly ran away from where she stood, knowing to stay too long in one place and position was suicidal. After awhile of running endlessly, ducking here and there, her head became hazy and fogged. Her vision blurred as the Moon began dimming out of sight beneath the trees. She would collapse in a matter of minutes. Dammit but she had to get into the Moonlight! He tricked her again, leading her straight into the shadows where the Moon no longer stood! Suddenly, when she doubted she could take anymore of the darkness, a predator jumped out from the darkness, she knew not where he jumped, be it tree or otherwise. The other wolf landed atop her ready to pin her down and claim his easy victory, but she wouldn't give him that.

Always a fighter until the very end, the female wolf bit down onto her opponent's neck until she drew blood. The other wolf howled into the Moonlight, but refused to let her up or let her go. Finally, he looked down into her eyes and his dark blue eyes mesmerized her as he whispered out, "Cheater."

The female wolf felt a tugging of a smile at her mouth, but squashed the impulse and said instead as she tried to shrug, "I guess you lose then."

His eyes sparkled with amusement as he said, "Never. I never lose."

The female wolf was about to give a sharp retort at his arrogance when an amused drawl came out from the darkness of the trees, "Are they going to get off of each other or are we going to have to pry them off?"

Blushing, the two wolves backed away from each other hastily and turned in the direction of the voice to see a 17-year-old girl with short, dark brown hair and glinting dark eyes walk towards them. The girl wore a tight, black dress that was too low on top and too high on the bottom.

The older wolf watched in amusement as her sister and the other wolf changed their form. The female, silver wolf with the silver eyes slowly changed in the Moonlight to a beautiful 16-year-old girl with long, blue hair and dark, chocolate brown eyes. The girl wore a long silver dress much like her sisters. The male wolf changed into a dark, handsome black-haired boy with dark sea-blue eyes and he wore a silver shirt and silk pants. The boy's face was innocent and charming, but his eyes still held the predatory glint.

"Really, Akane, dear, I know Ranma is your mate, but you must not do stuff like that until after your official coronation," a soft, reprimanding voice said. 

From the shadows walked the oldest, radiantly bright third sister with long light blonde-brown hair and a golden dress like her sisters.

Akane blushed as she whined, "Kasumi! He is not my mate!"

"Of course he isn't, Akane," Kasumi patronized her sister like one would a child in a tantrum, "Would you like me to tie your hair up in a pig-tail for you, Ranma-kun?"

"Um...thank you, Kasumi," Ranma said still blushing as Kasumi smiled sweetly and did just that.

And from the shadows walked out over a hundred others just like them, either wearing a dress or pants and shirt in different dark colors. All the young male wolves walked over to Ranma and stood behind him a grin on their faces. It would be obvious to anyone who the leader of the pack was...although unofficial...

Years before, the leader of this particular pack, Soun had died leaving three daughters, one to lead the pack. But once the leader was dead, the pack acted as though no rules remained. Arguments were made on everything and they acted as though there was no authority. Then, a young wolf took command. Though in no way old enough to compete with his elders, this young wolf reigned in everyone and took control and

nobody dared question his unofficial power. Although the rules said that the next in line for the leader of the pack be one of the three daughters of Soun, Nabiki knew that no one would listen to anyone but Ranma. So lies the problem.

The tribe would break up if Ranma was not the leader and yet the tribe would still break up if tradition was thrown to the wind. So, Nabiki brought onto an idea to the tribe Elders and they agreed readily. Ranma was going to be one of the three sisters lifemate. Kasumi was too old for him in wolf standards and Nabiki refused to since it was her idea therefore letting Akane be the only one. Ranma accepted his fate, albeit grudgingly, Akane, however faught it tooth and nail.

For unlike Ranma, who had to grow up and lead a pack at a young age, Akane spent her young years as any other cub would. Though their age was the same, Ranma was way wiser then Akane on things and Nabiki had hoped that he could be the one to tame her young sister. And maybe her little sister could show him how to live again too. 

For Akane was the only one that Ranma indulged and tolerated, for if it were anyone else he would have punished severely, no questions asked.

They had grown up beside each other, somehow arguing all their lives...but nobody questioned the strong bond they had for the other...

"You're bleeding," Ranma said softly, his hand touching her lip slightly.

Waving it off, Akane said nervously, "No big deal."

Staring intently at her a minute, the leader said, "What have I told you about hurting your own self."

Anger flared in the young girl, "I am not a cub, Ranma! I don't need you to protect me! I must train just like others and I shall become as strong just as them and I shall protect the pack!"

"The mate of the leader need not protect the pack," Ranma said softly, nobody hearing those words not even himself for never in a million years would the strong predator admit that somewhere deep inside he actually cared for this stubborn female.

"Ranma, I don't need your protection anymore," Akane whispered softly as a shiver went through her while he touched her bleeding lip softly with his fingertips.

"We shall see," was all he said before turning away and having the pack follow him. Sighing, Akane turned back upward towards the Moon. She didn't want this...she didn't want to be like her mother...the forgotten mate of the leader...no she was going to be different then all those other females that swooned after Ranma...she had to be...

"What do I do, Great Light In The Sky?" she asked it desperatly, pleading for an answer to her predicament. 

But the Moon remained silent.

And her question was unanswered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, class, you may put your brushes down," the Art teacher commanded. Looking at her work, Akane wryly thought how the pack would truly hate it. Especially Ranma. It showed the head of a girl with flowing long hair, faint brushes of an outline of a gray wolf around her, pushing between a forest of darkness and another forest of darkness. Atop it all above everything were two eyes, one brown, one blue. What this

meant, she did not know, but she knew the pack would disapprove of her involvement in such flesh activities.

"Ooooooh, Akane, mademoiselle. Tres Bon. Very very good. Do you mind if I enter this in the art competition?" the Art teacher said, practically drooling over her painting. Akane nodded and agreed in a non-committed wy, just another thing to have the pack on her back about. She was sure the Elders of the pack would have thrown her out had it not been for her sister's, Nabiki and Kasumi's influences and...Ranma...he protected her as well...

But she didn't want that anymore. She had been living in Ranma's shadow all of her life...but she wasn't going to anymore...after all...she deserved some light, didn't she? But who would understand, Kasumi was the mother of the pack so she wouldn't betray it, Nabiki held power, second only to Ranma's so she wouldn't give it up...but the youngest daughter of Soun...she was nothing at all...nothing important...so they made her Ranma's mate...so that no one would know how she shamed the pack by not being something more.

Giving a low growl deep within her throat, Akane picked up her book bag on the floor and walked out. On entering the cafeteria, she saw the hundreds of fleshes and shuddered involuntarily. As she walked inside she heard Ranma and his group call to her to join them, but deciding she'll start the change now, Akane continued on and sat down at a seemingly empty table. A boy with short, dark black hair was already sitting there.

Looking over at him, Akane asked as she smiled full of warmth, "Hi, do you mind if I sit here?" 

He turned to her and Akane's breath caught slightly, but then continued on. *Goodness, he's hot!* she thought distractedly and immediately scolded herself. Akane had always prided herself on being different from the other female wolves and in no way would she ever be attracted to a flesh...but...but look at him!

The guy had short black hair like she thought before and he wore a yellow bandanna with black spots as a sort of headband. He had dark, black eyes and his face was absolutely breathtaking. *His eyes aren't mesmerizing as Ranma's though and his-wait!* she stopped herself right away.

Why in the world was she comparing this gorgeous guy to Ranma? No, no she wasn't going to let thoughts of Ranma ruin this.

The guy smiled at her and she saw briefly that his teeth were extremely sharp, *Fangs?* she thought dazedly.

"Sure, you can sit anywhere you want. My name's Ryoga, what's yours?" he asked her and Akane almost broke out laughing. *Cute and sweet!* she thought. This had to be a dream for no guy in the world could possibly be like this.

"Akane," she grinned at him and suddenly she heard a low growl at the back of her mind. Suddenly, all the loud people froze and cleared through and all there was her and Ranma. Shaking off the feeling Akane almost growled, Ranma was watching her and he was angry. Very, very angry. *Oh well,* she thought angrily, *I can do what I want!*

Turning back to Ryoga, her smile got even brighter and she struck up a conversation with him, *Suck on that, Ranma!* she thought triumphantly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dark, blue-haired girl exited the school with the other students in the afternoon. She heard her name being called and she turned around to see that boy from earlier...what was his name?...Ryoga...run up to her.

"Um...hi, Akane," he said, scratching the back of his head as he blushed.

"Yes," Akane inquired sweetly, at least this guy wasn't an arrogant jerk...like some wolves she knew.

"Um...o-okay-b-bye," he said quickly before dashing off.

"Weird guy," Akane mumbled to herself and turned around, but an annoying voice made her stop in her tracks, "Hanging around with fleshes, are we, Akane?"

"Shampoo," Akane whispered like a curse under her breath and she whirled around. From the shadows of the building walked out two girls and three guys: Shampoo, Ukyo, Mousse, Kuno, and Ranma. They were Ranma's usual crew.

"What, us half-breeds aren't good enough for you, you had to go find a flesh to hang out with?" Kuno sneered. Akane looked at Ranma for help, like she usually did when she was in trouble, but he just looked at her.

*You got yourself into this mess, Akane, now get yourself out,* he demanded to her in her head. It wasn't cruel and it wasn't malicious...it was the leader teaching the cub to learn to fight.

"Get lost," she waved her hand dismissively, but her insides were shaking with terror. 

"What, can't face the music, Akane?" Mousse laughed.

"Tell me, Akane," Ukyo whispered into her ear, "Does human flesh taste better then animal flesh?"

"That's enough, Ukyo," Ranma commanded as soon as he saw the raw pain in Akane's eyes.

"Bastards," Akane whispered as tears entered her eyes and she rushed off.

"That was cheap, Ukyo, even for you," Shampoo whispered. The others nodded as they looked after where Akane had ran.

Ukyo shrugged, "Hey, it isn't my fault that her father had to die because he got addicted to human flesh and killed his own wife, a human, because of it. I mean Nabiki and Kasumi have all shown their wolf heritage, but that half-breed hasn't shown anything but human weaknesses. Who knows, maybe she'll be like her father and..."

In a flash, Ranma was beside Ukyo and his hands dug into her arm, his eyes turbulent as he whispered, "Take that back. Every word."

Ukyo turned her eyes away and whispered, "I take it back."

Ranma finally turned and walked off, not looking back...he knew where to find Akane...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The silver wolf sobbed in the center of the large cave as the other silver wolf walked inside.

"Go away, Ranma," the crying wolf sobbed.

Jumping up to where Akane was crying, Ranma said, "Akane, don't let what they say get to you. Be strong, be-"

Akane jumped up then, her eyes furious with barely restrained violence, "I can't, Ranma! That's what you and Nabiki and Kasumi don't get! The rest of the pack gets it except you three! I can't be strong and I can't be anything but a half-breed, the only thing worst then a human. You could go be strong Ranma, but...but...I-" 

She bit her lip and jumped down from ledge that they were on. He jumped down after her and said softly as he transformed back to his human form, "You are strong, Akane. I-I...you are a member of the pack and no one can say otherwise."

Akane shifted to her human form and turned around to place her hand on his cheeks softly as she said, "You just don't get it Ranma. You were always accepted, you and Nabiki and Kasumi and Ukyo and Mousse and all of them...you guys were always accepted and expected to be a bright new generation. Me...I've never been that. I've never been that because I'm a half-breed. Nabiki, Kasumi and me share the same father...but it isn't the same because their mother was a full-breed...mine was a flesh...and nothing you or Kasumi and Nabiki can say can change that awful fact. Face it, Ranma, I'm not one of you."

He saw it then, the flicker turning her human-brown eyes to silver.

"No!" he gasped. *It isn't time!* he thought desperately, pleading *Oh Great Moon above, it's not time! She isn't ready for it yet!*

But it was too late, for Akane's change had already started. He couldn't help her now...his Akane was about to disappear from his life forever...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: And yet she starts another series. Don't worry, like Rose Warrior, I'm iffy on this one too. If you like it e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. :) Actually, I started this way way back (in the time of Forever Bound) and just decided to put it on ff.net. It seems that the fics I put on ff.net seems to demand I finish them more.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and this is roughly based on the novel Blood and Choclate by Annette Curtis Klause.


	2. First Moon

A Drop Of Blood

First Moon: Death Light

October 2, 2001

She heard it first.

Heard the news before the others did...and so they blamed her. 

A flesh was dead. 

Killed.

And all signs point to wolf.

The cops called it murder...said it was a new serial killer on the loose and warned everyone to stay in after nightfall.

They knew different.

It was wolf.

The teenage boy's body was ripped apart from his neck to his navel...torn apart...his insides torn out...and the pack knew that only wolf can cause that damage...

...and only wolf had the taste for human flesh and human blood...

It could be a new wolf...a loner wolf from far away that caused this trouble...and they all wanted to believe that...because if it wasn't...that meant someone of the pack 'fell from grace' as they politely put it...that would mean a wolf from the pack gained a taste for flesh...and that meant suspicion was going to tear the pack apart...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, okay, everyone quiet! Now!" the young wolf shouted and silence immediately enveloped the room. Akane looked at him and scowled...she always resented that about him...about how he could just command something and everyone would be his lapdog and do it for him...resented the fact that she'll never have that kind of respect from the pack...

"Now, I'm sure we all know about the recent wolf attacks lately and all harbor doubts, but we must all remember that our pack's strength is based on trust. Our trust for each other. We must calm down and not become hysterical over this!" Ranma said, his voice being carried loud and clear across the expanse of the large room.

"We agree with Ranma, we can not let these recent attacks break our pack!" one of the pack Elders' shouted out. Akane looked at the leader again, both hating and admiring him for his strength. *How can be so strong? So sure?* she wondered. She used to admire that about him but now...now she hated the fact that the Great Strong Leader Ranma was so perfect. *Why couldn't he just be...be...human!* she thought. *But of course that isn't possible...not for the Perfect Leader...*

"But what if it really is one of us?!" a woman shouted hysterically, clutching her wolfling to her chest. It was a rare sight to see a woman holding a baby wolf to her chest. *Cammie...* Akane thought. Cammie was 6 years older then Akane and they rarely spoke... but Akane knew her name and everything about her. That was what was so wonderful and annoying about the pack...everyone knew everything about everyone else.

Before Ranma could reply, a snicker came from the shadows, "Wonder which one of us has a family history of flesh-addiction."

Akane saw Ranma suck in a breath and his dark eyes blaze with an intensity only she could see. She knew he was angry...very angry...but it didn't matter...all that mattered was the pain that erupted in her chest at the reminder of what she was. A half-breed. An outsider.

"Ukyo, you have nothing to base this on so I suggest you don't spout out accusations to frighten the pack," Ranma hissed through his teeth and everyone saw the wolf glint in his eyes and the way he kept opening and closing his hands. They all knew he was angry now. Ranma was always patient with everything but one attack at the half-breed Akane and...well...they didn't like to think of that too much.

A girl in dark brown dress slinked from the shadows and grinned maliciously at Akane, "Let's just ask little Miss. Half-Breed over here. We all know about Soun's 'fall from grace' and how these things can be passed to the next generation. We also know that Kasumi and Nabiki don't have this taste for human flesh...but Akane's different." Ukyo circled around the nervous half-breed and licked her lips as if going in for the kill.

"Why don't you tell us where you were the night that boy had been killed Akane. I happen to know you weren't at home. Mind telling us exactly where you were or too afraid to admit your guilty?" Ukyo gave a thing smile and stared straight into Akane's eyes.

Akane turned stricken eyes to meet Ranmas'. *Tell them...tell them where you were...* she could hear his eyes begging to her.

"I...I..." she started but what could she say? That she had snuck out to go to a party with a group of humans? That she defied her elders just because a cute boy named Ryoga Hibiki asked her to a party? That she got so drunk that she passed out and couldn't remember what happened? That she woke up in her bed...her sheets covered in a blood not her own?

"She was with me," Ranma spoke out and Akane looked up at him. *You don't always have to save me!* she shouted at him in her mind before running out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dammit Akane, what happened that night?" he asked her and she could tell he was trying to control his frustration and anger. *Tell him nothing happened. Tlel him Ukyo was lying* but she knew that she could never lie to Ranma about something as serious as this because he could always see through her.

"I...I don't know, Ranma. I snuck out to go to a party..and then...I don't know what happened," she replied truthfully and for once Akane was afraid. Everyone knew that once you tasted human flesh, you can never ever go back. That's what happened to her father. 

Ranma looked at her and he saw the flicker again, the silver flicker that made Akane's eyes more feral...more wolf...and he shuddered at the thought that she would fail what she was about to...or is...experiencing.

"Akane, listen," he said, grabbing her face so that their eyes met. Suddenly, he stopped being here best friend and was the fearless leader once again, "You can not tell anyone about this. We'll figure out what happened but until we did, we have to keep this quiet or the pack might get hysterical." Maybe it was wrong of her...selfish even...but you only got to be 16 and get away with being selfish once.

She yanked away from him, "Stop telling me what to do, Ranma. Just...just leave me the hell alone!" and with that she was gone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She ran...and she ran...but in her mind...he was always there. Telling her to stop running...to come back and face her problems...That was another thing she resented him for... maturing faster then she had. Ranma was always the serious one...the one that was always too patient with her and too understanding. *He's not liek this with the others. Why can't he just treat me like the others?!*

The moon had risen and she stopped to look down at herself. \

She was a wolf again.

A beautiful, silver wolf under the Moonlight.

And she hated it.

Looking up, she saw the close-mouthed, smiling face of the Moon. Ah, the Great Moon. The Wolf's Mother and Protector.

Wolves hated the sun, hated it's warmth and it's radiance. They loved the Moon... loved it's darkness and soothing coolness. That was where the big difference lay between a wolf and a human. 

And Akane was an eclipse.

Not sun nor Moon.

Not human nor wolf.

There...she felt it again...the pull the Moon was giving her...the one she had been feeling for weeks now...ever since that moment in the cave with Ranma...

...and she answered it's call with one of her own...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dream was always the same for her...nightmare really...

...there would always be a human boy that she particularly hated. One of the popular kids that always wore Gap and had a perky, cheerleader girlfriend. He hung out with the other popular kids at lunch and he would look at her with disgust tinged with lust in his eyes. He wanted her...she knew...but he was also disgusted at her because she was one of the 'damned' as they put them. It was funny...really...to see the human pity her. She pitied him. She liked her kind...they were always so much better...

Ranma.

She had loved him for a long time now. The great leader that everyone adored and respected. She had loved him for a long time now. And what a great leader he was... strong, powerful, handsome, dynamic...everything she could possibly want...

...but he didn't want her...

...he wanted that pathetic half-breed brat...

And in the nightmare she would always see the popular boy again and she would always lead him to a motel. She would show Ranma that she was better then that half-breed. She'll show them all that she was better. 

So she slept with the boy...

...and she knew he loathed her but she didn't care...

...she was going to show them all...

But she made a mistake...let her guard down...turned into her original form by mistake and the boy w as disgusted. He screamed and looked at her with fear and disgust in his eyes...she didn't want that...

...she hadn't meant to kill him that first time...

...really, she didn't...

...weak humans...couldn't even take a few blows...

And she meant to bury him...she did...but the smell of his fresh, warm blood was so tempting she had to try and see...

...and his blood tasted better then she had thought...better then anything she had tasted before...more addictive then any of the drugs she tried...it was...it was feeling as though you were being given a whole new soul...

...and she couldn't stop...

Of course that was when she would wake from her nightmare, only to discover that it wasn't a nightmare...

...that it really had happened...

...that she had the carcass of a dead human boy buried in her backyard...

And that was when she would go hunting again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: Okay, so this was really short and somewhat dark but believe me it's going to get even darker so I don't suggest anyone weak of heart to continue reading. Like Jim Carry said, "Don't enter my mind...you'll get hurt..."


	3. Half Moon

A Drop of Blood

Half Moon: Crying Cubs

November 16, 2001

The wolf crouched low behind the shrubbery and bushes. The innocent rabbit sat unknowingly on the tree trunk. It's nose twitched slightly as it moved it's head this way and that. The wolf's silver eyes took in everything; every movement, every gesture, every signal. There was a deep satisfaction in the wolf's eyes, a satisfaction one only gets from knowing that one was about to win a game. The wolf lived for moments like these. The wolf moved.

One sound.

The rabbit looks up.

It's ready to flee.

Too late.

One jump and the rabbit lay dead on the wolf's mouth. The wolf nuzzled it's wet muzzle in the rabbit's warm blood. What could be better than this? This pure, utter warmth that spread through the creature and made it shiver. It was as though it had just drank a hot cup of cocoa after hours in the blizzard. Ooh, how utterly-

The wolf's head snapped up. A growl rumbled in it's throat. Though it's physical features did not show it, the wolf scowled in annoyance and frustration. It stood up tall and slowly it's form changed. Soon, a young girl stood there in a beautiful silver dress. Her deep, blue hair was messy and her face was dirty.

"Do you like to hide in shadows like a coward now, Ranma?" Akane asked, refusing to turn her head and look where he appeared. 

Ranma walked out from behind the tree and scowled slightly himself.

"I'm not a coward!" he exclaimed.

Akane turned around and stuck her tongue out at him playfully. Ranma smiled. That was more like the Akane he knew. The restless, resentful, agitated way she's carried herself lately wasn't the wolf he knew. He walked up to her.

"I can take you anytime, cub," he proclaimed and quirked his chin up with a half-smile.

"Fine! Come on!" rumbled Akane with a glint of fight in her eyes as she started to crouch. To fight was in their blood.

"Wipe your mouth first. You still have blood," Ranma laughed. Akane's smile faded and she started to straighten. Her hand moved slowly to her mouth and wiped at the rabbit's blood. She moved it down to look at it. 

"Of course. It wouldn't be very human of me to do otherwise, right? Only true wolves are allowed to keep the prize's blood on their face, huh? Makes sense to me," she said, half laughing, half crying.

The leader hated to see her this way. He was getting slightly angry himself.

"Aw, come on, Akane! You know I didn't mean it that way," protested the male wolf.

"Of course," the female wolf answered.

Angry now, Ranma grabbed her chin so that she had to look at him. He swiped his other hand across the rabbit and smeared it on her face.

"There! Happy?" he shouted.

Akane reached her own hand down to the rabbit and grabbed a large part of it. She smacked it across Ranma's face and he let her go.

"I'm not a cub! Don't treat me like one! Don't treat me like the cubs you train!" Akane yelled and it echoed in the empty forest.

"Of course not," the leader said scornfully as he kicked the rabbit's body and turned to walk away. "They act more mature than you do."

The only he received was a long, loud growl after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane stomped her way back onto the main road. She knew she risked getting caught by someone driving by. A girl in a dress with blood smeared all over her face wasn't something you saw every day, but she didn't cared. She felt like being defiant today. 

"Always leaving in a huffy. Don't you ever get tired of throwing your hissy-fits?" a drawling voice called after her. Akane rolled her eyes and stopped.

"I really am not in the mood for this, Ukyo," she warned.

"Oh, but you're always in this mood," the voice replied.

Akane flew around. 

"Shut up! Just shut up for once, okay?" Akane yelled.

"Aw, is the poor-"

"Just what-what, what is your problem, Ukyo? Why don't you go attack Shampoo or somebody, huh? Why me? The others don't hate me that much and you're perfectly nice to everyone else!" 

Ukyo had stopped her game and now her whole body practically shook with her hatred. She started to approach the other. 

"You're my problem, _'kane_. You and your whole I-hate-the-world-poor-me act. I don't know why Ranma and the rest of them buys it. Even that stupid Shampoo. But we're all finding out who you are now, aren't we?" Ukyo baited.

"What are you talking about?"

"The murders, Akane. I'm talking about the murders. We all know who did it, don't we?" Ukyo, herself, was moving in for the kill.

Akane wasn't one to back down.

"You can't accuse me of something like that straight forward, can you? The tribe will shun you for distrusting one of your own-"

"No!" Ukyo replied, her face a mere inches from the other's now. "No...they all think you did it too, but they won't say anything. They won't say anything because they known Ranma backs you and they would never go against Ranma."

"I don't need Ranma. I can stand on my own," the silver wolf argued.

Now, Ukyo was really angry.

"You really think you can use him all you want, don't you? You think he'll always be there for you. Well, let me tell you something, honey, he won't be. He'll-"

"This is about Ranma?" Akane started to back away. Her clouded eyes cleared and she gave a laugh. The hard, cold laugh that Ranma hated so.

"This is about RANMA?! And here I am thinking you simply hate me for myself! I thought you had gotten over that, Ukyo! Geez, I thought you an Shampoo had gotten over it."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" It was not Ukyo's turn to boil.

"Heh," Akane gave a pitiful laugh. "Let it go, Ukyo. Just let it go and move on." She turned around and started to walk away.

Ukyo gave a cry and jumped at Akane's back in her wolf form.

Akane had her down with a paw pressing into her eye before she realized she never was able to beat Akane.

"Don't be stupid, Ukyo. If you really think I'm the murderer, you should be more careful." Akane gave a slight push for emphasis before turning into her human form and walking away. Her eyes glinted silver.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Akane..."

The girl turned her head around in exasperation to stare at her sister.

"Is it beat on Akane day today?" she sighed. Nabiki gave a wry snort and crawled out onto the roof to sit next to Akane.

"Rough day, I presume?" the elegant one commented.

"Understatement of the year," came the reply.

"You can't let Ukyo get to you."

Akane looked quizzically at Nabiki.

"How did you know?" questioned the wolf.

"I'm the unofficial leader, Akane. It's my job to know. Besides, I'm your sister. Me and Kasumi know everything."

"Spooky," Akane said sarcastically. 

"So, what's wrong, little sis? You weren't always this way," the middle child quizzed.

"And what way did I used to be, huh? Nabiki?" came the retort. The silver wolf wasn't ready to let anything go. This was going to be as difficult as possible.

Nabiki answered without hesitation.

"Happy. Content," she said. "You know, I even remember a time when you didn't hate our so oblivious leader's guts."

"Yeah, well," the blue-haired girl said as she stood up to breathe in the night. "That was before I realized just how important Ranma is to our little tribe."

Nabiki's eyes were smoky when she reached for Akane's hand.

"You didn't kill those people, did you, Akane?" she asked as though the question belonged in polite conversation.

"Heh...no, but would anyone believe me?" and with that Akane plopped back down and buried her head in her arms.

After a while, a long while, Nabiki spoke again. 

"The mate tournament is coming up, you know. Ukyo and Shampoo as well as the others are training really hard. They all want Ranma. They all want the leader as their mate," she said slowly.

"Yeah, so? Why should I care?" was the muffled answer.

Nabiki didn't answer her question, but just said, "I'm going to be in the tournament to, Akane, and I'm going to fight for the leader. I can't make Kasumi do it and if you won't, I have to. I can't risk one of the other females to gain that much power."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Akane said.

"I'm not explaining myself. I'm just telling you so that you know your options. I'm not saying that the position of Queen doesn't appeal to me. Just...think it over."

Akane moved her head up and looked at her sister.

"There's nothing to think over."

Nabiki's mouth tightened and thinned. She got up and left. 

Akane laid her head back down into her arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night another flesh was killed. It was a twenty-six year old woman who had been out jogging along the road by her country home. Her body would not be found until the next day when her daughter, out searching for her, found her body left in a ditch, the stomach ripped out. It appeared, and this was only whispered among the police for who could actually believe this was true, that someone had chewed out her insides and did it quite recklessly, in fact. It appeared as though the woman was used as a punching, or rather chewing, bag for whoever attacked her.

Then, after the event was publicized, an innocent phrase circulated among the children of the wolves. It was a cruel, cruel term to use and if Akane ever heard it, it would have broken her heart. The children did not know this though. They just knew that the phrase made them laugh and shiver and feel exhilarated.

The phrase was, "Be careful with the flesh or Akane will get you!"

On the morning that the police found the body of the dead woman, however, Akane was at the lunch table with Ryoga and his friends. It didn't matter to her that they were flesh. She was half-flesh, wasn't she? Besides, they didn't treat her as though she was a plague that they were forced to deal with.

It didn't bother her that Ranma was laughing it up with Ukyo and Shampoo a few yards a way.

Really. It didn't.

"Hey, what's the matter? You seem depressed," Yuka commented with a tentative smile.

Akane offered a weak smile in response.

"Rough day yesterday, that's all," she answered but couldn't help glancing over at where Ranma and his _friends_ were. No one noticed but Ryoga.

"You know him, Akane?" he asked her, trying to make a joke out of it.

Akane looked back towards the group of kids at her own table. She appeared confused.

"Hm? Yeah, we sort of grew up together," Akane told him.

"Are you two-" Ryoga started but Akane cut him off, much too quickly, "Oh no! Of course not. He's barely a friend. I don't like him that way."

Ryoga gave a weak smile but inside he wondered how she knew what he was about to say before he even said it.

A stronger, more deeper part of him believed that she had been thinking along those lines before he even said anything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_A tiny wolf, a child really, jumps around by a ravine, chasing the wind. The moon shines brightly on the gurgling river and for the baby wolf, all is perfect in the world. Out of nowhere jumps another wolf, lunging straight for the first wolf's neck. The baby wolf wrestles slightly before getting up and shaking herself._

"Is it me or do you suck?" the second wolf asked haughtily.

"Nyah! I'm the best wolf around, Ranma. You're just jealous," Akane answered back. Ranma gave a little wise grin. He knew better.

"Yeah, work on that jump of yours a little more and maybe you will be," he told her. Akane sighed and rolled her eyes. Just like Ranma. Always a lesson in everything he says.

Akane jumped onto a rock as she said, "I thought you were at a meeting with the elders."

"Changed my mom. Decided to come see what you were doing," Ranma said, following her wherever she jumped.

"It's not fair. Why do you get to go to the meetings? No other young wolf is allowed to," whined Akane.

"It's because they like how I jump," the boy wolf answered and got a paw swipe at him.

"Ah, I don't want to go to any stuffy meeting, anyway," the other wolf said innocently and ran off. Ranma stood awhile before chasing after her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The storm thundered outside when Nabiki opened the door to a distraught Ranma. Of course, you couldn't tell it from his physical features. His face and form showed nothing. 

"Come on. Kasumi's upstairs," Nabiki told him, shaking with fright herself but keeping it under a tight leash. Ranma entered the house, dripping wet from head to toe and jumped up the stairs. He headed straight to Akane's bedroom. Not that it mattered that he knew where every room in this house was. It was pretty hard to miss the screams.

Inside Akane's room it was dark and the only light came from the moon through the window. Kasumi stood next to Akane's squirming body, wiping a cool cloth across her head and changing it every few seconds. When she saw Ranma and Nabiki entered, she practically wept with relief.

"How long has it been?" he asked both of them as he approached Akane's bed.

"We don't know," Nabiki answered. "It's probably a few hours. We called you as soon as we heard the screams."

Ranma gulped. The screams were pretty hard to miss. They escaped from the girl's mouth randomly, as though they had a life of their own.

"Kasumi, get the rope. Nabiki, get into your wolf form. We don't need to bait her as well."

The two obeyed him without question. First, because he was the leader and second, because this wasn't the first time this happened. Ranma just bent over Akane's tortured face so that his face of anguish could not be seen. It was sad, almost.

Tomorrow morning, Akane would wake up refreshed. She would not remember anything from the previous night and no one would tell her. Even the welts around her wrists and ankles that were caused by the rope would be gone. She would never suspect anything and neither would anyone else. It would be Kasumi, Nabiki and Ranma's secret and burden to bear. Their truth to be kept secret.

For despite what people believed...blood-lust was hereditary.


End file.
